Like a Forest Fire
by Dustfinger Flames
Summary: The crew has landed together in a new city in a new world. It is so beautiful, and unlike any other. However, they get taken to the city ruler, Ashura, and told to be slaves. Well, everyone except one person in the group. [yaoi warning wtf.]
1. City

Peculiar. There was something peculiar about this world. Fai clicked his tongue in curiosity as he couldn't decide what it was. Maybe it was the way the sky had a swirl of pink and yellow like in banana strawberry Trix yogurt, or the renaissance style buildings that were off in the distance. Fai had never seen anything like this city's doodads, so he really couldn't decide.

He looked around at his companions. There was Syaoran, who had his arms clasped around Sakura comfortingly, and lovingly. Then there was Kurogane, who was angrily trying to swat a little white creature off of his spiky-haired head. Fai smiled when he saw this creature. It was Mokona, the one that made this possible. But it was rare to find a time when Fai was not smiling.

They were all on a journey together. An extraordinary journey, if you are not used to magic and things of the like. They were in search of Princess Sakura's feathers, which happened to be her memories that shattered, what felt like so long ago. Mokona mentioned to the group that he did sense a feather in the town, but once again it was too weak to know exactly where. Mokona looked at them sadly.

The group went on, without any worries about the slow waves from the feather. This had happened numerous times already. But if they were going to get it, they couldn't stand there in the middle of a forest path, breathless by the yogurt sky.

The city in the background got larger and larger, and they began to think it would never end. It was a massive city. It looked very strong. Fai thought that luck wouldn't be in their favor if they were to stir up any trouble. He immediately gave Kurogane a glance, and chuckled at the ninja's puzzled glare as way of answer.

"You must be tired." Fai said to his comrade.

"Naw. I wouldn't say that." Kurogane still has a some-what murderous grin on his face.

"That was quite a fight back there." Fai looked back at Syaoran and Sakura behind them. Sakura was telling Syaoran of another memory.

"Yeah? Well maybe I'm not as weak as you are." Kurogane's smile curved up on one side. He admitted to himself he was a little tired. But it was only because the damn path seemed to go on forever. "You…used a little bit of your magic didn't you?"

'The part I'm still able to use….' Fai thought to himself, but not surprisingly he didn't say this thought out loud. It was a rare time when Fai showed his real emotions. He didn't reply at all to this. Mostly because he didn't want to, he didn't want his guilt to slither out like a snake, also because he couldn't.

There was hardly a sound as the city people emerged from the trees. They were all very tall, and most of them were blonde. They wore red, like it was a uniform.

"What's this talk of 'magic'?" One of them inquired. She appeared to be the only woman in this curious group. "Only Master Ashura is allowed to use magic!" She sounded poisonous. Like disobeying the law meant death.

Fai put his hands up an inch or so from his waist in an innocent way. "Oh no…that was nowhere near here…" He sweat dropped as he tried to explain. He tried not to make his face look pale, for Kurogane would probably notice, just like last time his beloved Ashura's name was mentioned.

The woman arched an eyebrow. She raised a spear she had wit her. When the group looked around, they noticed everyone had them. They looked like weak little things, however. Or at least Kurogane didn't find them a threat in the least. "Where else could you have used it?"

Fai felt Kurogane's gaze at him. He must have recognized Ashura's name. He still refused to let anything leak out of from inside of him. He laughed. "Umm…well your probably wouldn't believe us…we're travelers." He tried to be as polite as possible, and kept the princess and Syaoran out of their way.

"Never mind," the woman muttered. "You look familiar. I think we should bring you to Master Ashura. See what he wants us to do with you." she lowered her spear. She motioned to the others to do the same. "Any disobedience and we'll tie you together, but because I like this fellow's smile, we'll let you walk."

Kurogane swallowed down a complaint and obeyed. Who knows? There could be a feather nearby. Maybe this 'Ashura' character, which they had the pleasure of meeting him before in another world, and Kurogane was also pretty sure Fai had seen him more than once, could have it. Mokona had said that it sensed it, so it was here, and this way they were going to the town. If anyone was going to be killed, he wouldn't let it happen. If death were to occur he wouldn't be able to go home.

As they entered the large city, they were awestruck. It was beautiful. The buildings were higher then they have ever seen before, and torches lit on the outsides, making everything glow with pure orange. And there were so much of these torches, that you even felt the heat. It was like there was a celebration going on.

As they entered a large building, after quite a long walk, Fai seemed to turn pale and colorless. Kurogane nudged him and hissed in his ear that this wasn't the time to get sick. Fai secretly thanked him for not mentioning Ashura, for he saw it in his eyes that he knew the real reason for this colorless moment.

Fai did not take notice of all the passer-bys in the building and on the streets back when they were outside. He looked at the flowery wallpaper spread across every inch of the inside walls. He heard Mokona cheering from Kurogane's head, and Kurogane swore. Syaoran and the Princess were as bewildered as he was, completely silenced.

Finally, they all stood in front of a man who was dressed as a king, but sat in no throne. His smile seemed to say 'I would rather stand for such an occasion' somehow. He had the thick black hair that was just as Fai had remembered it. Easily blown in the wind, feminine, and oh too recognizable. The color in Fai's face continued to be drained. He never did like the color white, much less, he didn't like his mask to be cracked, not even in the slightest.

Master Ashura's smile went up to one side as the group was pushed up in front of him. His hands were behind his back, and his fingers were locked together as he inspected them. He walked in thin sandals that flapped when he walked. He stopped in front of Fai and looked the blonde in the eyes. His smile twisted. Fai breathed.

"Yes…he _does _look familiar." His expressionless eyes moved to the woman from earlier.

The woman smiled with obvious pleasure to have pleased Ashura.

"What are you playing at?" Kurogane growled.

Ashura ignored him and looked at Fai again. "You look chipper. I like that. Just a little white, you are." He placed two fingers behind Fai's ear and pushed some blonde locks back behind them. "What is your name?"

Fai trembled a little. Ashura felt it, but showed no change in emotion. "F-Fai." Perhaps he only imagined the slurring in his voice. He remembered he couldn't be afraid, so he smiled. "Fai D. Flowright." Ashura's hands were cold against his now colorful skin.

Ashura smiled again and nodded. Then he looked at the companions behind Fai. He placed his hands behind his back again and paced. "You are in my city perhaps you are…looking for something…" He seemed to hiss as he talked, and gave a long glance at Kurogane, with a smile Kurogane did not like. He looked at his kidnappers, and told them he wanted to talk to Fai. He told them to bring the others to their treatment.

Kurogane wanted to prevent this, ready for a fight. However, Syaoran held his tense arms down, meant to calm.

"We'll see how this goes." The brat said.

Kurogane had soothed, but it wasn't like his worries disappeared.


	2. Ashura and Slavery

Fai was nervous about his companions leaving his side, to be left alone with a man he feared, though he told himself that this wasn't _his_ Ashura-ou. He decided to look him in the eye during this little meeting, if his eyes were to obey.

But Ashura didn't do anything harmful. He acted helpful towards Fai. He filled his stomach with excellent fruits and delicacies, as well as provided him with entertaining conversations, and a pleasurable place to sleep. So comfortable in fact, that he didn't stir so much as a twitch in his sleep.

The light woke him up. His blue eyes reflected the golden ceiling fan whirring through the morning. He stretched his arms out and yawned. He was refreshed. He blinked until his vision came back and he saw the giant room before him. It took him awhile to remember his friends weren't there with him! All he saw was a sleeping Mokona next to him. 'Oh!' That's right. Mokona had stayed with him through his evening with Ashura.

It was strange for Fai to tell himself that he had a pretty good time with Ashura. He seemed to be a kind man. Once again, he had to remind himself that it wasn't _the_ Ashura that he feared. At least he believed so. Sometimes being told he looked familiar disturbed him.

"_You look just a little bit like one of my old slaves…" _

Fai remembered Ashura telling him that when they sat downtogether for a dinner meal last night. The meal had consisted of rice, vegetables, and assorted meats. Ashura had told him that his friends were getting a meal of their own, and that he just wanted to talk to Fai.

"_He was a lot different than you. He was a troubled young man. He was dull colored. He ended up committing suicide even though I offered him such a wonderful life here, even if he had to work." _

Fai remembered that after Ashura had said that, he was silent for awhile, humming something.

"_The only thing that interests me is…his name was Fai as well." _

That part troubled Fai. He didn't know how to answer that when Ashura told him. He wasn't sure whether he should have told him about how they changed dimensions. Luckily, Ashura told him he could take his time answering any of these questions.

--

Fai, after waking up Mokona and carrying the creature on his shoulder he opened his white washed door and stepped into the giant hallway. A servant was near by.

"Excuse me!" Fai urged for his attention and smiled. The servant walked over to him, will not much change in emotion.

"Do you know where my friends are?" Fai decided to give it a shot, he didn't know if a servant would really know where they are.

"Come." The servant beckoned him to follow. And the two of them walked down a disgusting amount of stairs into a dark hall. There were jail cells all around. After a few empty cells passed by, Fai began to get nervous. Finally they stopped, and the servant pointed at the cell that had 3 figures held inside it. Mokona gasped. Fai breathed.

Kurogane snorted from inside the cell. He was in the far corner, sitting there just grinning. Syaoran and Sakura were together on the other side of the small cell, and they were sleeping.

Fai clutched the bars with his hands as he stared in the cell bewildered. "Kuro-pon…why…why are you in here?" His voice shook.

Kurogane laughed so sarcastically that it hurt Fai. "And what are _you_ doing out there?"

Fai stood taken aback. He had no idea this happened. "I…I didn't know you…Ashura wanted to talk to me…and then he sent me to bed…he told me you guys did the same…"

Kurogane snorted again. "Liar. That Ashura." He said nothing more as he played with his fingers. After awhile he looked up at the blonde. "We came down here as soon as we left you guys."

Fai's head rested on the bars looking at Kurogane with such sadness, that even Kurogane was choked by it. But the wizard continued to say nothing.

"If you're not going to say anything, come." The servant pulled on Fai's shirt. Fai gave Kurogane one last look and then let himself be dragged on.

For the rest of the late morning, Fai looked for Ashura. After looking here and there, and below and above, he finally found the king sitting on a chair looking at a bunch of playing cards, like he was playing with an invisible player, or a ghost. He looked at Fai with a smirk that made the blonde wince. He had forgotten overnight that this man looked just like his enemy.

"You're awake, my dear." Ashura's voice slithered. He was so eerie and mysterious. But gentleness was one of his features too.

"I…I have a question I thought I should ask you before I did anything stupid." Fai started to doubt that gentleness, and Ashura could see it in his voice.

"Ah…my Fai. Do you," He walked over to Fai and embraced his bright face within his strong hands. "have any faults at all?" He tipped Fai's head back, as the wizard's eyes stared with distrust, but he did not move.

"I…I'm not _your_ Fai." He felt Ashura's knuckles resting warmly on his throat as his voice jittered. In his mind he was plucking his faults one by one out from deep inside of him. He was an actor, a liar. And this 'Ashura' was starting to pull it out of him mouth like he could take out illnesses. He moved his head down, expected Ashura's hands to keep his chin up. They only continued to hold on in a bland fashion to his white skin. "My friends….why are they locked up?"

Ashura only smiled. "They are going to be slaves of course." He acted like this wasn't that big of an extent. That made Fai a little bit angry.

"What?" His eyes became fearful, not matter how hard he tried to stop it. Ashura was pulling everything out of him with his stare.

"It's alright, dearest." Ashura reassuringly hugged Fai. "Anyone can see you don't belong with them. Anyone could see they don't care about you. All they care about are the feathers."

Tears shot up to Fai's eyes. He wanted to toss Ashura out of the way, and kill him. But something there told him that maybe he was right. They were only doing this for the feathers. "Wait. How do you know about the feathers?"


	3. Colored Tears and Tasty Morsels

_I hate him! I hate that blonde bastard! _

Kurogane was slammed against the cold corner of his cell during another sleepless night. Sakura, Syaoran, and he had been given ridiculous jobs to do during the day, which made Kurogane angry and ashamed because he was much more capable of more. Did these idiots _know_ of his profession? The thing was, he _thought_ he could fight these people off. He thought he could kill them. But only one thing was stopping him. The damned curse.

But despite that, Kurogane wasn't thinking about the people of this city. He was thinking of Fai. Had he betrayed them? Had he told the people of this city to warp them into some kind of slaves? Did he know how embarrassing it was? For him, a warrior, to be working for thin, skinny, happy freaks?

Truthfully though, Kurogane couldn't believe that this was Fai's fault. After seeing that painful sadness on his face the other night, he had to believe that Fai really had no idea. But if he didn't, why wasn't he squished in this godforsaken cell with them? A little tiny glow inside a secret part of Kurogane's heart, told him that he would rather have it be him that Fai doing this dirty and tiring work. He wouldn't fully admit this to himself, no matter how hard it tried to come out.

Ashura smiled but said nothing that resembled an answer to Fai's question. _"Wait, how do you know about the feathers?" _He showed no signs in revealing his tempting secrets either. He released his hug and his fingers slithered up to Fai's delicate and white chin. He tilted back Fai's head and Fai showed no signs of resisting.

"I love you. Naturally I would have to follow you to have hope of fulfilling my temptations." He saw the glow of change in Fai's great eyes. A glow of fear, and it was beautiful.

Fai didn't understand. Follow him? Could this possibly be the Ashura he knew in disguise? He tried to resist Ashura's strong grip but stopped himself as it only resulting in cracking of his bones.

Ashura laughed a small puzzling laugh. "Don't worry about silly things like this, my dear. All you need to do is be happy."

A cold touch of glass touched Fai's lips. A cup. It was shortly followed by a cold river of water making its way down his throat. Some didn't make it and dropped to the floor. As the liquid slipped onto his tongue as if desperate, he began to think that it couldn't be water. It was something else. Its taste he couldn't describe without a long term of thinking. After a minute of closing his eyes, a great feeling vibrated through his body.

Ashura took the cup away, smiling. Fai panicked, as he wanted more of the delicious enigma beverage. Ashura however, wouldn't let him have any more of its satisfying taste.

As Fai sat at a round table with Ashura, he began to wonder if he was drunk. He walked dizzily, but he was just stunned by the feeling. It felt like it could burst out of his body at any moment but couldn't. It drove him crazy but at the same time he enjoyed it. He felt beautiful. He felt carefree and together. He felt the urge to be close to Ashura's warmth. Just like a fierce fire destroying a forest in seconds, his loneliness was gone. Yeah, he decided. Like a forest fire.

Ashura could see this. His plan had succeeded. He could see the light around Fai brighten, and his eyes shine of happiness. He knew that this fluid made you feel you had no faults or worries in the world. He also knew that Fai had many faults. He knew that once the drink took its run, Fai would need unbelievable comfort. And only he would give it.

Ashura left after a half hour or so. Fai saw a spark of beauty in everything around him, and saw he had the urge to explore. The feeling still buzzed strong in his body and it made him restless. He made his way down the dark stairs, feeling the rough stone walls with interest. Everything fascinated him. What made the walls like this? Broken and dark. Charred and unimportant. He decided that he loved them. He loved their difference from any other wall he remembered in the castle.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs he found himself looking into a cell that had three bodies sitting down in them. As he saw a particularly grumpy camper in one corner he remembered him. "Kurogane…" He leaned on the unique bars and sighed happily, resting his head on his hand.

The somber one looked up looking tired and dirty. Secretly he was surprised that the man didn't call him by his usual stupid nicknames. "_What._" He muttered crossly. Syaoran and Sakura seemed to be asleep together. The two weren't cut out for work like this all day.

Fai didn't say anything. He looked at Kurogane with a bright drunken stare. A song sang within him from the mysterious drink. He didn't remember at all about the other two sleeping bodies. He smiled in a way, by force from the feeling.

"Kuro….you're so beautiful."

Kurogane was taken aback by this statement by the blonde. It terrified him, though he wasn't sure why. He reassured himself by deciding Fai was very very drunk. He stood up in alarm, like if Fai were to do something stupid he would stop it.

Fai's fingers grasped the bars lightly. He chuckled before he began to cry fat happy tears. He laughed as they fell warmly down his cheeks. When they fell upon his lips he swore they tasted like the drink he enjoyed only a few hours ago.

Kurogane blinked in silence. "What the…hell? Are you drunk Fai?" He leaned on the bars watching the man cry happy tears of joy and life.

Fai continued to cry and refused to wipe them away. They tasted lovely. "It's really too bad you waste your beauty on anger and annoyance…" he gasped between breaths. "You could do so much with a smile like yours to a man like me….you….I loved you."

Kurogane's face scrunched up in confusion. "What the…? You are so drunk. You better go back to your _Ashura_ before you start doing the handkerchief cat ears." A sound of hate vibrated off the name.

Fai shook his head no. He could feel the happiness ebbing out of him slowly. His stomach gave a lurch of fear and loss. The feeling of desperateness made his face feel warm in panic. He wanted to cling to the feeling. He showed no emotion of this on his face, as to hide it from Kurogane. He was slowly returning to normal. The tears stopped and he sniffed. "I'm a man on the run…I'm pathetic and have no purpose except for running away…" he sobbed lightly.

Kurogane felt a sharp shock of fear hit him like a wave. _Why? He was always so happy…always so annoyingly annoying. And now he is…drunk and sad? He seemed so happy when he came down here. _"Oh hell, don't start saying that crap." He crossed his arms and looked down at the magician as he seemed to get weaker and weaker. He reached a hand through the bars and held tightly on one of Fai's arms to keep him standing.

Fai felt like he couldn't stand up anymore. He clung to the bars for support. "I'm sorry…He said that you were slaves…and then…he forced a drink down my…it was so beautiful though Kuro-sama!"

Even though Fai was completely out of it, it eased his nerves that he called him by a nickname. "He gave you a drink? Then you are obviously drunk. No worries." He pushed some of the blonde locks away from Fai's frightened face. "And you are not pathetic. Maybe when fighting oni, but not generally." He succeeded in making Fai chuckle.

All too soon Fai seemed to be disappearing. First his hands seemed to dissolve into thin air before his entire body was faded like an old photograph. Both of the men panicked but both knew there was nothing he could do. In the next second Fai was unconscious and gone from Kurogane's view. He reappeared in Ashura's arms still knocked out. Ashura smirked an evilish smirk and set Fai on the bed to have lovely dreams.

-------

Author's note: I'm sorry it took awhile to get this up. I was really busy and also sick for awhile. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up but keep reading and thank you! This chapter was loads of fun!


	4. Puppy's Tied Up

Fai's dreams came to a screeching halt as somebody touched him. The feeling of dead tiredness overcame his body. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before opening them and letting out a groan of pain. His eyes wouldn't open. Something was wrong. He was blind.

No wait, he could open them a little, but it hurt to do so. He saw the shape of Ashura beside him, holding him against the mattress softly. "Dear Fai!" he exclaimed. "You're sick!"

Fai took this thought into consideration. It made sense. He tried to think of what had happened before he went to sleep but couldn't remember. He remembered a little flicker of something to do with Kurogane. It made him feel like vomiting to think.

Ashura picked the blonde man up into his arms. Fai grabbed helplessly grabbed for imaginary things to keep him from falling. Ashura kept a good grip on him though, as he set him in a chair and gave him a warm drink.

"Poor Fai. This should help." He said slowly guiding Fai's feverish hand to the warm cup of tea.

"Um…if you don't mind me asking," Fai began as he slowly guided his cup to the memorized area of the mouth. "Why can't I see anything?"

Ashura smirked at Fai's swollen eyes and feverish condition before taking a sip for himself. "Oh, of course you wouldn't know."

He took another sip. "Kurogane-san poisoned you."

Fai felt sick in his stomach. He heard a little bit of shuffling to his left, but assumed it was just Ashura rummaging around somewhere, since now he couldn't see at all. "Kuro—" He coughed.

"I don't believe you." Saying his comrade's name hurt his throat for some reason.

Ashura laughed a little and took Fai's hand into his and held them tightly. "Fai, I love you. I wouldn't lie to you."

There was a silence as Fai thought about this. He thought in the darkness and his sickness grew bigger and bigger in his stomach. "Who are you?"

Ashura gave a whining sound. Shortly there was a loud clap from something falling over. Ashura's hands left Fai's as he caught up cursing to pick it up. "Calm down will you?" Fai heard him say. "Stupid _puppy_."

Ashura paced around the room. Fai felt that he was crowding behind him. "I told you. Ashura is my name. I'm the king of this city, after such a long…"

He paused as his hand brushed through Fai's hair, and a finger ran down his cheek.

"Such a long **sleep**."

Fai's eyes shot open in fear, giving him a piercing pain in his head and eyes. His hands flew up to his face as he cried in pain. Tears flowed, but his put his head on the table to hide then.

"Fai!" Ashura put his arms around Fai comfortingly. "Damn Kurogane…" He forced a cup of tea in Fai's trembling hands. "Tea helps…"

Fai drank and the pain ceased. He turned his head away from where he thought his former enemy's face was. "What happned to Chii?" He asked gritting his teeth.

Ashura ignored his question. "Are you mad at me now?" His voice sounded mocking but also caring.

He took Fai's chin into his hand and forced it to face him. Through Fai's closed eyes he could see Fai's eyeballs forcing themselves to look away from him. He was afraid of him, like a little fish facing a shark alone in the wide lonely ocean.

"I care about you now, Fai. More than your so-called 'friends'. Kurogane poisoned your drink at your last meeting, don't you remember?"

Fai tried to remember, he really did. He remembered Kurogane's face looking back at him like he was angry. Sadly, he shook his head as a negative answer. "I don't think he ever liked me."

Ashura reached into his pocket and took something out. Fai saw the light movements of Ashura's graceful body. His blank visions became darker as Ashura put wet eye patches onto his eyes.

Then Ashura smiled. "That's right. And I want you to forget all about him. I want to start a new relationship with you." He wrapped his arms around the wizard tight and protectively as the temporarily blind man wept. "I love you…" He leaned forward and kissed the side of Fai's face lightly. Fai felt his breath and turned his face toward the other's face and the two of them kissed each other on the lips.

Ashura's hug relaxed and his hands moved to down to Fai's waistline. Fai felt down his own body to find Ashura's strong hands and arms. Their kiss continued like a cloudless dream. Fai almost wished he could see it.

The kiss released and something soft but prickly brushed against Fai's face. He immediately recognized it as the brush of a feather. He retreated in surprise, he heard Ashura chuckle.

"This is what you're looking for right? The girl's feather." Ashura chuckled as he waved the feather to and fro.

Fai nodded in a confused manner. "You have it?"

"Tell you what, dear Fai. I'll keep this feather safe for you and your friends if you stay here with me for a little while." He put the feather to his lips and smiled.

Fai thought about this option. He couldn't see if Ashura really had the feather, but he felt the feather's power. He started to believe everything Ashura said. He began to love him back. He nodded.

Ashura now satisfied, took Fai's hand to guide him. "C'mon into my room to rest. It will be a while until you can see again."

As they left the bedroom, they passed an open window. Ashura smirked in a sinister way and let the feather fly away in the wind. A quick rustling was heard in the corner that made Ashura laugh. "Don't worry about it Fai. The _puppy's_ tied up."

The room became quiet. Over in one corner, chained the wall and gagged was a man. He had been forced to see and hear everything. It was Kurogane.


End file.
